[chocomouse]

Rascals, the recipe is Zuchinni Brownies from the KAF website. They were OK. They were cake-like and I prefer fudgy brownies. They were dense, and the flavor was excellent. I doubled the recipe and used a 9 x 13 pan. I baked them an extra 10 minutes to get a clean toothpick. KAF also has a chocolate zuchinni bread and a chocolate zuchinni cake; there is very little difference in taste or texture among those. I might or might not make any of them ever again. Not bad, just OK. I need a recipe that calls for 20 bat-size zuchinnis!!

[chocomouse]

This recipe for a Tomato Tart is one of my most favorites; you could play around with it. You might have to reduce the amount a bit. I don't know what depth of filling you are looking for. I don't know where I got the recipe, but think it was in a newspaper about 2005.

1 9 inch pie crust (I sometimes replace with a tortilla shell; less fat, but different texture)
6 tomatoes, cut in wedges (I use more than 6, use a meaty, plum/paste tomato; less watery)
1/2 C mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C onion, chopped
1 Tbls butter/margarine
1/2 C mayonnaise
3/4 C shredded Parmesan
1 C shredded mozarella
1 clove garlic, mashed
1/4 C snipped basil
1 Tbls parsley

Preheat oven to 350. Bake pie crust 15 minutes.
Saute onion and mushrooms in margarine.
Mix cheeses, mayo, garlic, basil. Stir in onion mix.
Put tomatoes in crust, skin side down. Spoon cheese mix over tomatoes. Sprinkle parsley on top.
Bake 30 minutes.

I'm going to try this using your recipe for the pizza/pie crust -- if my tomatoes ever ripen.

[chocomouse]

It's been so hot and humid here that cooking has been minimal. One night we had leftover creamed turkey casserole from the freezer when thunderstorms moved through just at grilling time. I made a bunch of salads - broccoli, zuchinni zoodle, and a pasta with kale and Feta. Then I played around with Margherita Quesadillas. So simple and easy. I used 8 inch tortillas, layered with mozzarella, thin sliced Sarnoski plum tomatoes, and an assortment of herbs (basil, thyme, savory, marjoram, garlic chives, oregano, and probably some others) snipped from the planters on my deck. I heated them in a cast iron skillet to brown them and melt the cheese, and then at dinnertime I simply reheated in the microwave. They were excellent- the assortment of herbs was amazing, so each bite was a little different and unexpected.

[chocomouse]

I made two loaves of whole grain sandwich bread, blueberry muffins with lemon streusel (using KAF's burger bun pan). and molasses cookies. I have Moomie's Burger Buns rising now and will make zuchinni brownies shortly. This sounds like an awful lot of food for two of us, but I'm going out of town next week for eight days so I'm stocking the freezer for the road trip, for a potluck on Sunday, and for my husband so he doesn't starve to death while I'm gone.

[chocomouse]

You can't go wrong with any of Mrs M's recipes! I've made a couple of these muffin recipes; thanks for reminding us, Swirth. I also especially like her Cranberry Orange Nut Bread and Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

[chocomouse]

Rottiedogs, I put the Basic Muffin recipe from janloew in the Recipes file. The first time I make a recipe, I follow it exactly, but after that, I often try variations, usually to change the flavor, or make it healthier. I hope you enjoy these muffins. Let us know if you try some changes to it.

[chocomouse]

Today I made the Basic Muffin recipe by janloew from the old BC. I added KAF's lemon juice powder (love, love, love this powder for a tart-sweet lemony flavor!) and about a cup and a half of last year's blueberries from the freezer, as well as sour cream to use it up. I should have baked them another couple of minutes, but they are fine and delicious. I also made two loaves of whole grain sandwich bread. I used my regular bread recipe, Maple Buttermilk, from Beth Hensperger's Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook, with lots of substitutions as usual. I used 1/2 cup of KAF's maple granola, to use it up, and 1/2 cup of Bob's steel cut oats. I also used Splenda Cup for Cup, to use it up. We love this bread, an no matter what you sub, it is no fail.

[chocomouse]

Baker Aunt, I just love reading your posts about using up ingredients!! Interesting, amusing, and sometimes educational! I remember one time when we were moving across country and I was trying to empty out the freezer - was down to salmon, pheasant, and elk. We all were pretty sick of that and just wanted burgers. Your ingredients sound much more interesting to work with.

[chocomouse]

Baker Aunt, have you looked at the KAF recipe for a hazelnut tart - I can't remember the exact name. The filling does call for cream, and that might give you a place to start. I've been waiting for an excuse to make this tart, that is, a gathering to share it because it looks too rich to have hanging out at my house!

Aaron, when I make ganache, I use a 1 to 1 ratio by WEIGHT for the chocolate and cream, not volume. Do you think that would apply to this filling?

[chocomouse]

I've actually done quite a bit of baking this week. I made a raspberry coffee cake with raspberry streusel; really tasty. I sliced up some cranberry-coconut refrigerator cookies left in the freezer since Christmas. I made a couple of small, 3 x 5 inch pans, loaves of Olive and Herb bread using KAF add-in flavor. For our standard sandwich loaves, I made DH's favorite Maple Oatmeal Buttermilk bread from Beth Hensperger's The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook, except I subbed in one cup of Sprouted Wheat Flour that I bought at KAF, in place of a cup of AP. It made a nice loaf, with only a subtle change in flavor. This is a terrific recipe which I strongly recommend. I make lots of substitutions, such as honey, agave syrup, as well as a variety of flours in place of 1-2 cups of the all-purpose. I've not yet been disappointed.

[chocomouse]

Nothing exciting for cooking here. I've been using up leftover soups and casseroles, plus working on the stash of frozen veggies from last summer's garden. We did have a nice "breakfast for supper" meal of bacon, blueberry pancakes, and fresh still-warm-from-the-evaporator maple syrup.

[chocomouse]

Mike, I am curious about that recipe. Bread? I bought a bag of Sproute Wheat Flour at KAF this week, and not sure how to use it except to sub it for some of the other wheat flours.

I have spent most of the last five weeks in and out of the hospital, and it is soooo god to be baking and reading these baking/cooking blogs! I've made the KAF Goodness mix for sour cream coffee cake, which they were giving away, yes, free, at the baker's store. It was excellent, flavor and texture. Today I made cookies using Nestles Delightfull, cherry flavored. Also excellent and I would make them again.

[chocomouse]

Not much cooking here this week. I did make shrimp alfredo using a bottled sauce and tossed in a container of asparagus from the freezer/garden. And tonight we had meatloaf, which will make quite a few sandwiches next week.

I tried one of those microwave potato bags - any else ever tried that? Supposedly, it yields lighter, fluffier baked potatoes, more like oven-baked. We didn't notice much difference.

[chocomouse]

Today I made two loaves of maple-oatmeal-buttermilk bread, a pan of fudgy brownies, and a batch of blackberry jam filled muffins. I used a basic muffin recipe, with sour cream, from Mrs M on the old old Baking Circle. Half of all this baking went into the freezer for next week.

[chocomouse]

I made the Heart of Winter loaf that BakerAunt mentioned in the "I was wondering" thread. It is really good, husband likes it with peanut butter and honey! After reading all the comments on the KAF recipe page I was hesitant to try it. A majority of the posters said it was way too wet, and someone said the hydration was 89%. Being an experienced bread baker I thought "I can handle this." So I held back 1/4 cup of the water; but I had to add it in, plus 2 tablespoons more when it didn't come together. I followed the recipe exactly, except: I added 2 tablespoons of vital wheat gluten, and I baked it as two loaves in 8 x 4 cast iron bread pans. I also kneaded it a bread machine. I didn't get much of a first rise, but the shaped loaves rose nicely, in about an hour. There was no oven spring. I would recommend this recipe, and I'll make it again.

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